Vertical retort for the distillation of carbonaceous materials



Dec. 2, 1941. F. J. WEST ETAL VERTICAL RETORT FOR THE DISTILLATION OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS Filed Jan. 5, 940 a Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.6;

F. J. WEST ETAL ,652 VERTICAL RETORIT FOR THE DISTILLATION OF'CARBONACEOUS MATERIIALS Dec. 2, 1941.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 194g ,A A u guru "c1 ufu .m/h u f Wes Dec. 2, 1941. F. J. WEST ETAL VERTICAL RETORT FOR THE DISTILLATION OF GARBONACEOUS MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 5, 1940 Fig.5 U

Pfetented Dec. 2, i941 VERTICAL RETORT FOR THE DISTILLATION OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS Frederick Joseph West and Ernest West, Miles Platting, Manchester, England, assignors to Wests Gas Improvement Company Limited, Manchester, England, a British company Application January 5, 1940, Serial No. 312,608

In Great Britain January 26, 1939 4 Claims.

This invention relates to intermittently operating vertical retorts for the distillation of carbonaceous materials, such as coal, shale and the like, and has for its object to simplify the means which support the charge in the retort during coke discharge and which facilitate the cutting oii of the charge in the retort from the coke being discharged.

Usually the cutting cii of the charge in the carbonisation space of the retort from the charge in the coke chamber from which coke discharge is made, is efiected by. a plate which is caused to project across the retort from side to side thereof. Such plate which constitutes a gate may be of comb-like form so that its leading edge consists of prongs which facilitates their cutting through the coke in order to extend completely across the retort. Sometimes, the gate which supports the charge in the retort during the discharge of coke from the coke chamber is made in two parts which move from the opposite sides of the retort and meet or overlap midway across the retort. All prior constructions have been necessarily substantial in character 'due to the resistance of the coke to the passage of the gate therethrough which has necessitated the application of very considerable pressure to operate the coke hold-up gear.

By research and experiment we have discovered that a satisfactory hold-upandcut-off of the charge in the carbonisation space of the retort from the coke in the coke chamber which is being discharged can be made if teeth or claws moving into the coke space from opposite sides thereof are caused to project into such space just suiiiciently to embed themselves and make impressions in the incandescent coke. This keying of the teeth into the coke gives an effective hold-up without the necessity for the application of heavy pressure to the members carrying the teeth or claws and without the liability of the requisite short movement of the teeth or claws being impeded by the resistance of the coke in the manner experienced with present coke hold-up arrangements.

The invention comprises the provision at the opposite sides of the top of the coke chamber of members carrying teeth or claws which are movable to a limited extent to cause the latter to embed themselves and make impressions in the incandescent coke, with the result that the coke is keyed to and held up by the teeth or claws, so that discharge of the coke chamber can be effected without afiecting the charge in the carbonisation space of the retort.

The invention further comprises building up the members carrying the teeth or claws from operatively interconnected sections which are turned by screw and nut or other mechanism to put the teeth or claws into or remove them from their service position in the coke space.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view on the line I-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 a longitudinal sectional elevation I Figure 3 a sectional plan view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 a plan view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 showing a vertical retort with coke holding-up means in accordance with this invention.

Figure 5 is an end View looking from left to right in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of part of ure 1.

0. indicates the coke chamber and b the lower portion of the carbonisation space, a and b together constituting a complete vertical retort into which coal or the like is fed at the top and from which the coke is discharged at the bottom when the door 0 is opened by withdrawing its support 03.

There are combustion chambers as e, one above the other, around the carbonisation space, to supply the requisite heat to carbonise the coal or like charge.

Beneath the lowest combustion chamber e there are provided, along each of the long sides of the coke chamber, a series of pivotally mounted and interconnected hollow members I to each of which is secured a plate 9 having projecting teeth or claws 9 as shown in Figures 1', 4 and 6. The said teeth or claws project a short distance into the vertical throughway space down which the coke travels on its way from the carbonisation space to the discharge door 0 and do not come adjacent one another from the opposite sides ofthe coke chamber. Each intermediate member I has a rectangular projection h at one side and a similar recess h at the other side, the inter-engaging projections and recesses of all the members being in axial alignment and constituting (in conjunction with the end pieces h in bearing supports 2 and the operating spindles :i) axles about which the members can turn to withdraw the teeth or claws from the coke space of the retort or to bring them into such space to the extent indicated in the drawings. The ends of the spindles are coupled by means of the arms k to a nut m upon a vertical screw Figment of 4".

n which is turned by a hand wheel 0 for the purpose of moving the teeth or claws into and out of their service position in the coke space.

When the teeth or claws g are moved to project into the coke in the coke chamber, they exert a squeezing action on the more or less incandescent coke, which causes them to embed themselves in the coke and to grip it on a plane extending between the claws at the opposite sides of the chamber. This ensures that the coke is held up by the claws at that plane without it being necessary to exert any very heavy pressure upon the claw operating mechanism and hand wheel 0 and without the liability ofan'y hard mass requiring to be broken up before the grip is obtained such as is the case when gripping teeth have to interlace and overlap fromthe opposite sides of the coke chamber to obtain the desired hold-up of the coke charge.

When coke discharge is to be effected the teeth or claws g are caused to project into, so that they make an impression in, the hot coke mass, their positions then being as shown in Figure 1 and in full lines in Figure 6. The discharge door 0 is opened and the contents of the coke chamber fall therethrough. The door '0 is then closed and the teeth or claws withdrawn from the coke space to the positions indicated by chain lines in Figure 6 by turning the members I through the medium of the hand wheel 0, screw 11, nut m, levers k and spindles a. The carbonised charge in the space b then falls into the coke chamber a. It is sufiicient in volume to extend above the teeth or claws 9 so that the teeth or claws Q can press therein when moved to the Figure l position. A new charge of coal or the like is now fed into the top of the retortand is carbonised.

The lower ends q of the members I are shaped as parts of cylinders and move in fixed brackets r of similar shape so that no coke can pass behind the members during their movements.

The employment of several members I intercoupled by projections and recesses h minimises the effects of the temperature upon the members and reduces buckling and distortion.

The depth to which the claws embed themselves in the coke is not normally greater than 2" and may be less. But because of shrinkage of coke from the walls of the chamber, and 'because the part of the coke column seized by the claws may have consolidated, before being dropped, in a narrower upper portion of the tapered chamber, there is normally agap of the order of 2 wide between theface of the chamber and the surface of the coke column. The "gap may or may not on any given occasion befilled with loose coke, but in order to bridge it and to assure that the claws grip the coke column proper, it is necessary to give them a total Move- On occasion, therefore, th'e'depth to which the claws are 'embedded'may unavoidably be somewhatless or more'than 2".

We claim:

1. A vertical retort 'for the carbonisation of carbonaceous materials having at each side thereof at about the level of the top of the coke chamber pivoted members, inwardly extending claws upon the upper edges of said members, horizontal pivots for said members below the level of said claws and means to turn said members about said pivots to move said claws from a position clear of the coke space to a position in which they project thereinto to an extent not exceeding four inches, and vice versa.

2. A vertical retort as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pivoted members comprise a series of separate members, each having claws upon its upper edge, a projection upon one end of each separate memb'er and a recess in the other end of each separate member which receives the projection upon the adjacent separate member and is in sliding but non-rotary engagement therewith, and means to impart pivotal movement to the endmost of said separate members.

3. A vertical retort for the carbon'ization of carbonaceous materials including a carbonization chamber, a coke cooling chamber having opposed recesses in the walls thereof, means to support the material in the carbonization chamber when the co k'e cooling chamber is being discharged comprising members pivoted within the recesses on opposite sides of the retort at about the level of the top of the cooling chamber, claw-like members on the upper edges of said pivoted members facing toward the center of the retort and normally positioned within the recesses, and means to turn said pivoted members about their pivots to move said claw-like members laterally toward thecenter of the retort until they engage and grip the edges of the column of coke to support thesam'e.

1. A vertical retort for the carbonization of carbonaceous materialslncludin'g acarbonization chamber, a cokecooli'n'gchjamber having opposed recesses "in the walls thereof, and means to support the material in the carbonization chamber when the cooling chamber is being discharged comprising a series of interconnected pivoted members within the re'cessesand'arr'anged along opposite sides of the retort at about the level of the top of the coke cooling chamber, claw-like members on the upper edges of said pivoted member's facing toward the center of the retort andrnor'mally'positiond within the recesses, the pivots of said pivoted members being arranged horizontally and'bew'w the level of saidclaw-lilze members, and fneans toimp'art a rotary movement to the last of the 'ser'ies'of pivoted members thereby causing all of said members to move about their pivots to first move said claw-like members from a position clear'o'f the coke space so that the'y'project laterally'inwards toward the center of the retort and engage and grip the edges of the column of coke'and thento withdrawthein therefrom and restore them to their initial position.

FREDERICK JOSEPH WEST. ERNEST 

